Service Description for HIAB and Outscan Network Security Scanner (Including Outscan PCI) 

Outpost24 Netsec solutions provide capabilities to identify, categorize, manage, and report on network-attached Information Technology (IT) assets and their security vulnerabilities such as insecure system configurations or missing security updates.

Customers may choose how frequently they assess their IT assets. Results of assessments are typically used to inform supporting operations teams of recommendations for remediation and mitigation. Once remediated, users can choose to verify the vulnerability has been resolved with a focused re-assessment of the IT asset. Additionally, results are used by security teams to measure compliance and reduce cyber exposure or enterprise risk.

Customer Subscription and Deployment Options

Outpost24 customers contract for an annual subscription to use the Netsec service. The scope of service scales based on the number of IP addresses to be assessed, the frequency of assessment, and optionally on the number of HIAB virtual appliances that are licensed.

Deployment of the service can take one of two forms or a combination of the two.

  • Externally facing assets – are evaluated from Outscan, a cloud-based service operating in Outpost24’s private cloud in Sweden. Assessment information is stored in Outscan. Outscan operation is controlled through a web browser that meets minimum system requirements.
  • Internally facing assets – are evaluated from a HIAB, a virtual appliance installed behind a customer’s firewall. Assessment information is stored in the HIAB. HIAB operation is controlled through a web browser once deployed to an environment meeting minimum system requirements.
  • Combined deployments – use Outscan and HIAB together for coordinated assessment of internal and external facing assets within one user interface. Deployment configuration guidance is available in the Outpost24 Deployment Guide.
  • Deployment variations – additional deployment configurations are possible to support scenarios where external assessments need to be from local appliances, or local appliances need to be controlled from a cloud-based service. Deployment configuration guidance is available in the Outpost24 Deployment Guide.

Alternately, a HIAB virtual appliance can be deployed on an separate “air-gapped” network segment that has no Internet access. When deployed in this way, the customer will need to follow a manual process to update the HIAB on a regular basis.

Working with the Solution

Outpost24 Netsec solutions include access to documentation and online help. This information provides basic operational information to work with the solution. Additionally, Outpost24 offers online or classroom education for organizations that want to improve their knowledge level and become more effective at assessing their assets and interpreting assessment results. The course catalog provides details about class availability and contact details for scheduling. After gaining some expertise with the solution, a certification exam can be scheduled to achieve an Outpost24 certification, as explained in the course catalog.

For larger organizations, Outpost24 offers an onboarding webinar at its discretion. This webinar is delivered by the Outpost24 Customer Success team to ensure a plan is established to implement the Outpost24 Netsec solution.

Additional information about getting started and best practices when using Outpost24 can be found in the video library.

The Outpost24 solution is designed to discover IT assets and assess them for security vulnerabilities. A range of target systems and installed software are detectable including common Windows and Linux variants and much more. A complete and up-to-date list can be found on the supported targets page.

Integrations to Other Technology

Outpost24 solutions are API-driven, meaning all functionality in the system is accessible and can be controlled through the API. As a result, the API is used to automate Netsec operations or orchestrate complex Security and Operations workflows. Additionally, Outpost24 and its technology partners develop integrations with common security and operational technologies that can streamline operation and share relevant information. A complete list of technology partners can be found on the integrations page.

Impact to Customer Assets

Outpost24 Netsec solutions are designed to be minimally intrusive while performing assessments. However, impact to IT assets is possible. This impact can be minimized by following the guidance in the Outpost24 Netsec Best Practices Guide.

Service Functionality

Outpost24 regularly updates the features and capabilities of the Netsec solution and its detection capabilities.

Customer Responsibilities

During the deployment and operation of the Outpost24 service, the customer responsibilities must be met for smooth operation.

  • The customer must be authorized to assess the assets within IP ranges configured in the system. Use of Outpost24 products and services is restricted to only assets owned by the customer.
  • The customer is responsible for configuration and operation of the Outpost24 system. This includes discovering and managing assets, performing assessments, remediating any security vulnerabilities identified, and verifying the vulnerability has been closed. Unless alternate arrangements have been made for Outpost24 to provide Managed Services or other support services, Outpost24 has no responsibility for operation of the service.
  • The customer is responsible for applying regular updates to the HIAB virtual appliance in accordance with the Outpost24 lifecycle policy. Regular updates can be automatically applied to keep the appliance current. HIABs on air-gapped networks must be updated manually.
  • The customer is responsible to manage access to systems where authenticated scanning is desired. This may include providing credentials or two-factor authentication in the Outpost24 service.
  • The customer is responsible to whitelist all Outpost24 scanners, both the Outscan cloud-based service and HIAB virtual appliances. IP ranges for scanners are available in support portal.
  • The customer is responsible to provide a sufficient operating environment for any HIAB virtual appliances. The minimum system requirements detailed in support portal. These requirements may change from time to time, with notice provided in the Outpost release notes.
  • The customer is responsible for backup and recovery of any HIAB virtual appliances installed on their premises. All backup and recovery of data stored in the Outscan cloud-based service are the responsibility of Outpost24.
  • The customer is responsible for data retention of information collected and analyzed by the HIAB virtual appliances. Customers should consider their normal data retention policy and any variations that would apply to assessment information of this type.

Outpost24 Responsibilities

Outpost24 is committed to achieving service levels and deliverables as defined in the customer agreement. During the term of service, Outpost24 will perform the following:

  • Outpost24 will deliver customer support to the Service Level Agreement (SLA)
  • Outpost24 will deliver regular updates to system software to improve operation, extend functionality, or correct software defects. For Outscan cloud-based service, Outpost24 is responsible for applying all updates.
  • Outpost24 will deliver regular updates to data collection and vulnerability detection scripts to keep current with vulnerability definitions and compliance benchmarks generally reported in the IT industry. Generally reported sources are described on the vulnerability research page
  • Outpost24 will perform backup and disaster recovery activities for the Outscan cloud-based service. This activity will meet system availability obligations described on the status page
  • Outpost24 will perform data retention for the Outscan cloud-based service. This activity will meet system availability obligations described on the status page
  • Outpost24 will maintain their Outscan PCI ASV status in good standing.